Live Blogging of Closing Arguments in CA Same Sex Marriage Case - Wed., June 16

June 15, 2010

Tomorrow, June 16, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
California will hear closing arguments in
Perry v. Schwarzenegger
,
the landmark case challenging the constitutional validity of
California's "Proposition 8." Proposition 8 amended the California
State Constitution to prohibit the state from recognizing same-sex civil
marriages performed on or after November 5, 2008.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court barred live video streaming of the
trial in a controversial 5-4 decision. Those who are interested may
follow live blogging of tomorrow's closing arguments online at
https://prop8trialtracker.com
.
Arguments are tentatively scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. PST and to
end shortly before 4:00 p.m. PST.

Perry v. Schwarzenegger
should be of interest to CFI
supporters for a number of reasons. Most obviously, support for
marriage equality is grounded in the humanist ethical values promoted by
CFI's Council of Secular Humanism. In addition, the case touches upon
issues of both religion and science that are of interest to supporters
of the Council and of CFI's Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Much of
the trial and the commentary it has generated have focused on the
religious motives behind anti-gay discrimination, as well as the
substantial scientific evidence belying the state's assertion that
same-sex relationships harm society or children raised in same-sex
households.

The Center of Inquiry has a long and proud history of promoting LGBT
dignity and equality. As detailed in our
recently-published
brochure
, in recent years alone CFI has actively defended LGBT
rights on a number of fronts, including the following:

In November 2007, CFI's Office of Public Policy published a
research
paper
exposing the religious prejudices underlying opposition to
marriage equality and arguing that LGBT individuals have a civil right
to marry. In addition, CFI's Office of Public Policy has lobbied for the
repeal of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act," a
religiously-motivated law that denies federal benefits to same-sex
spouses.

CFI published a
detailed
study
of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in March
2010, showing that the exclusion of openly gay and lesbian service
members compromises the quality and readiness of the U.S. military.
CFI's Office of Public Policy also lobbied both the Senate and the House
of Representatives in favor of legislation that would end "Don't Ask,
Don't Tell."

In March 2010, CFI filed an
amicus
brief
in the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that religious student
organizations do not have a special constitutional right -- a right
denied to secular organizations -- to access public funds while
violating public colleges' non-discrimination policies. CFI argued that
student groups that want to exclude LGBT students may meet privately
but cannot demand public money to fund their discriminatory practices.

In 2008, CFI published a
critique
of a civics textbook
used in many secondary schools. CFI uncovered
the textbook's biased and inaccurate portrayal of the U.S. Supreme
Court's
Lawrence v. Texas
decision that decriminalized same-sex
intercourse. CFI's report exposed the textbook's belittlement of the
impact of state anti-sodomy laws and its endorsement of a politically
charged view on the role of courts in upholding the equal rights of LGBT
citizens.

CFI's Office of Public Policy fights for federal legislation that
would address the all-too-common bullying and harassment of LGBT
students in schools. As a member of the National Safe Schools
Partnership, CFI lobbies on behalf of the Safe Schools Improvement Act
to "end discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation
or gender identity in public schools and for other purposes."

Please visit www.centerforinquiry.net for more updates on the
Perry
v. Schwarzenegger
case. Thank you to all of CFI's supporters who
have helped us to defend science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and
respect for the rights, dignity, and autonomy of
all
human
beings.

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Office of Public Policy

Manhattan

Derek C. Araujo is a teaching fellow and Ph.D. candidate at the Columbia University Department of Physics. He is a former Vice President and General Counsel of the Center for Inquiry.